Work continues on the exterior of the old Wisner School in Pontiac in preparation for future development, pictured Wednesday August 21, 2013. (Oakland Press Photo:Vaughn Gurganian)

The 102-year-old Wisner School may open again -- perhaps as a cozy restaurant -- or for another public use to be announced by the company that won a 10-year contract to lease the school and its stadium.

The Pontiac Board of Education leased the 35,000-square-foot, two-story Wisner School, the 6,600-seat stadium, and all the sports fields and track on the 21-acre property to Wisner LLC, of Pontiac, which will improve, manage and operate the old school and the sports venue.

It is possible that on nights when familiar sounds of crowds cheering for sports are not emanating from the site, the sound of music might be heard at concerts held on the improved property, said Rod Blake, the broker who helped negotiate the deal.

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Steve Cartier, spokesperson for Wisner LLC, couldn't say whether the structure at 441 Cesar Chavez would become a restaurant now that the company won the contractual right to serve alcoholic beverages. But he said nothing is ruled out at this time. He said the company is open to all possibilities for the historic building.

Soon, some exciting announcements will be made, he indicated.

"Once preliminary work is done, the assets of the building will be assessed and a plan will be made as to the best use of the space while maintaining the needs of the community," Cartier said in a written statement provided to queries about plans for the site.

Cartier said Wisner LLC is working in conjunction with Pontiac schools to beautify the city and to provide opportunities for local businesses and organizations as well as make the area safe and secure for use.

No matter what the future use of the venue may be, it will continue to be home of the Pontiac High School Phoenix, trustees said, and walkers will continue to use the track. Otherwise, Wisner will be the entity scheduling the use of the facilities to groups and organizations and charging the fees. Wisner LLC will also be able to operate a concession with alcoholic beverages, with state approval.

Fifty percent of the gross receipts will go the Pontiac school district, according to the contract.

Meantime, crews are working "to uncover the original character of the Wisner School and stadium and prepare the grounds for future growth opportunities," Cartier added.

Workers have been hard at work trimming trees, doing landscaping and beginning cleaning and renovations to the old school and its 21-acre sports venue.

The historic school built in 1911 has sat vacant for decades next to Pine Grove, the 1845 Greek Revival home of former Michigan Gov. Moses Wisner, for whom the school is named and which houses the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society.

"By working to restore the Wisner School and stadium, Wisner LLC hopes to provide future opportunities for Pontiac and the local community," Cartier said.

At a recent board meeting, it was said that Wisner LLC is expected to do an estimated $350,000 worth of improvements to the property on 21 acres at 441 Cesar Chavez in Pontiac.

Although Cartier did not confirm or deny that statement about how much will be spent on improvements, Blake, a broker with Winnsboro Forest Companies, said he expects the investment will be much more.

About Wisner LLC's progress and plans for the future of the property, Blake said, "They've got the smarts and they've got the resources and they've got the equipment.

"In a matter of days, they did the work that some would have seen as months of improvements.

"It says if you can take a building that is 100 years old and make improvements at a relatively short period of time and at a relatively low cost, we hope we can use Wisner as model of what can be done with other buildings," said Blake. He said Wisner LLC has followed through on everything promised since the beginning of contract negotiations through the current stage of improvements.

Under the agreement, the company has the option of leasing the property for another five or 10 more years after the contract expires. All improvements made to the property will remain the school district's after the contract expires, but equipment will remain Wisner LLC's property.

Pontiac Board of Education reserved the right for some approvals of fees and the use of the facilities for things that are not the usual activities at an educational facility.

A Michigan Limited Liability Company is a completely separate legal entity from that of the individual owners, and helps to separate personal assets from that of the business.

LLCs are run similar to a sole proprietorship or a partnership, and are typically simpler to run and operate than a corporation.

Michigan defines "member" as an owner of the company, and, unless the Articles of Organization state otherwise, owners are responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Michigan Limited Liability Company.

According to the Federal Internal Revenue Service website, most states do not restrict ownership, so members may include a single individual, several individuals, corporations, other LLCs and/or foreign entities.